# Isembard Raises $9M to Bring Manufacturing Back to the West

## Isembard Raises $9M to Bring Manufacturing Back to the West

Geopolitical instability and the increasing desire for resilient supply chains are driving a surge in demand for reshoring – bringing manufacturing operations back to Western countries. However, rebuilding critical industrial infrastructure is a complex undertaking. British startup Isembard is stepping up to the challenge, securing $9 million in seed funding to establish a network of factories across the West.

Isembard’s solution targets companies that typically outsource precision manufacturing, providing an alternative to investing heavily in their own facilities. According to CEO Alexander Fitzgerald, their first factory, which began operating in London in January, is already capable of producing high-precision parts on demand.

The company’s process is straightforward: clients submit 3D files of desired parts, receive a quote for speed and price, and Isembard machines the parts from the required materials, delivering them directly to the client. In some cases, Isembard will even handle final assembly.

While this model mirrors the functionality of overseas manufacturers, Isembard aims to align with the growing demand for localized, sustainable, and robust supply chains. A key differentiator is MasonOS, a proprietary software platform that connects and powers all Isembard’s facilities, creating economies of scale and streamlining operations.

Fitzgerald believes that legacy suppliers in the UK are struggling to adapt to the reshoring movement. Decades of outsourcing have resulted in fragmented supply chains, a shrinking skilled workforce, and outdated factories. Isembard hopes to offer a competitive alternative by leveraging software and automation to provide faster and cheaper solutions.

The seed round was led by Notion Capital, with participation from 201 Ventures, Basis Capital, Forward Fund, Material Ventures, Neverlift Ventures and NP-Hard Ventures. Prominent angels such as EU Inc promoter Andreas Klinger and SpaceForge founder Joshua Western also invested.

Isembard’s initial focus is on the aerospace, defense, and energy sectors. While Fitzgerald declined to disclose specific clients, he noted strong early traction in defense and among fast-growing startups, with ongoing discussions with government bodies and prime contractors.

With a current team of just 12, Isembard is intentionally taking a different approach than some other automation startups. Unlike U.S.-based Hadrian, which raised over $200 million to build large-scale, centralized factories, Isembard is pursuing a distributed factory model.

“We take the view that it takes too long, too much capex, and too much concentration of talent in one single place to build these large, 100,000 square-foot factories,” Fitzgerald explained. “What we’re actually doing is a distributed factory model where we have lots of much smaller units, but all with the same operating model technology and automation.”

MasonOS, the company’s proprietary software, will manage everything from quoting and estimating to supply chain management, automated scheduling, and machine coding. Fitzgerald argues that current alternatives are either paper-based or rely on outdated software from the 1970s.

The startup’s name, a nod to the famous British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, reflects its engineering-centric approach and ambition to revolutionize manufacturing. Drawing inspiration from Brunel’s father, who founded a shoe factory to address the shoddy footwear supplied to British soldiers, Isembard is driven by a sense of patriotism and a desire to solve industrialization challenges for the West.

While currently focused on the UK and Europe, Isembard envisions expanding its operations to North America, Australia, and New Zealand, aiming to play a pivotal role in reshaping the future of Western manufacturing.